Senate Bill S4175

                            
                    S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________

                                  4175

                       2009-2010 Regular Sessions

                            I N  S E N A T E

                             April 15, 2009
                               ___________

Introduced  by Sens. FLANAGAN, DeFRANCISCO, O. JOHNSON, LARKIN, MORAHAN,
  PADAVAN, RANZENHOFER, SEWARD -- read twice and  ordered  printed,  and
  when printed to be committed to the Committee on Higher Education

AN  ACT  to amend the education law, in relation to creating the regents
  teacher shortage loan forgiveness program

  THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  Section 1.  The education law is amended by adding a new section 237-a
to read as follows:
  S  237-A.  CRITICAL  SHORTAGES  IN  COMMON  BRANCH  SUBJECT AREAS. THE
REGENTS SHALL, ONCE EVERY FOUR YEARS, REVIEW THE SUPPLY AND  DEMAND  FOR
PUBLIC  SCHOOL  CLASSROOM TEACHERS TO DETERMINE THE EXISTENCE AND POTEN-
TIAL EXISTENCE OF CRITICAL SHORTAGES IN ANY OF THE COMMON BRANCH SUBJECT
AREAS FOR THE PURPOSE OF  DETERMINING  ELIGIBILITY  CATEGORIES  FOR  THE
REGENTS  TEACHER  SHORTAGE  LOAN FORGIVENESS PROGRAM PURSUANT TO SECTION
SIX HUNDRED SEVENTY-SEVEN-B OF THIS CHAPTER.
  S 2. The education law is amended by adding a  new  section  677-b  to
read as follows:
  S 677-B. REGENTS TEACHER SHORTAGE LOAN FORGIVENESS PROGRAM. 1.  NUMBER
AND  CERTIFICATION.  ONE  THOUSAND ELIGIBLE CANDIDATES SHALL BE SELECTED
ANNUALLY ON A COMPETITIVE BASIS TO PARTICIPATE IN  THE  REGENTS  TEACHER
SHORTAGE  LOAN  FORGIVENESS  PROGRAM.  CANDIDATES MUST HAVE SUCCESSFULLY
COMPLETED AT LEAST THE SECOND  YEAR  OF  UNDERGRADUATE  STUDY  AND  MUST
DEMONSTRATE  TO  THE  SATISFACTION OF THE COMMISSIONER ACADEMIC STUDY IN
ANY OF THE COMMON BRANCH AREAS OF CRITICAL TEACHER SHORTAGES, AS  DETER-
MINED BY THE REGENTS.
  2. DURATION. UPON ISSUANCE OF A PROVISIONAL OR PERMANENT CERTIFICATION
AND EMPLOYMENT IN A PUBLIC SCHOOL LOCATED IN NEW YORK STATE, EACH CANDI-
DATE  SHALL  COMMENCE PARTICIPATION IN THE REGENTS TEACHER SHORTAGE LOAN
FORGIVENESS PROGRAM. PARTICIPATION  SHALL  CONTINUE  UNTIL  ANY  OF  THE
FOLLOWING OCCURS:

 EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                      [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                           LBD06526-01-9
              

S. 4175                             2

  A. THE CANDIDATE'S QUALIFIED OUTSTANDING LOANS ARE REPAID;
  B. THE CANDIDATE LEAVES THE TEACHING PROFESSION;
  C. THE CANDIDATE NO LONGER RESIDES IN NEW YORK STATE;
  D. THE CANDIDATE DEFAULTS ON ANY HIGHER EDUCATION GUARANTEED LOAN.
  3.  AMOUNT.  UPON  CERTIFICATION OF ELIGIBILITY BY THE COMMISSIONER TO
THE PRESIDENT OF THE HIGHER EDUCATION SERVICES CORPORATION,  THE  PRESI-
DENT  SHALL MAKE ANNUAL PAYMENTS TO THE CANDIDATE, OR AT THE PRESIDENT'S
DISCRETION DIRECTLY TO THE LENDER ON BEHALF  OF  THE  CANDIDATE,  IN  AN
AMOUNT  EQUAL  TO  THE LESSER OF ONE THOUSAND DOLLARS OR ONE-HALF OF THE
TOTAL PRINCIPAL OF FEDERAL AND NEW YORK STATE GUARANTEED  STUDENT  LOANS
DIVIDED BY THE PERIOD OF REPAYMENT, AS PRESCRIBED BY THE PRESIDENT.
  S  3. The regents of the state university may adopt any rules or regu-
lations necessary for the implementation of this act.
  S 4.  This act shall take effect on the first of April next succeeding
the date on which it shall have become a law.